Returning to exercise after a difficult break

This is a personal record from the original publication date. Food, exercise, weight, and procedure experiences describe one person’s circumstances, rather than current treatment recommendations or guaranteed outcomes.

Several upsetting things happened, and I went a long time without exercising. It has been hard. My father was very ill. There are no words for how difficult it was.

I had no appetite—or rather, I could not digest food well. I was unwell too and often took medication. The muscles at the back of my neck were extremely tight.

For the first time in a while, I exercised, stretched, used a foam roller, and sat in the massage chair. Then I took a hot shower and lay down. Keep going.

A new Starbucks drink I had this morning. Sweet coffee gives me a little lift when life is hard.